REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
Were made and concurred in as follows: (except in the cases named )
- By Mr. MARCH: Judiciary-returning Senator bill [245] for the relief of Joseph Moore, recommending passage.
- By Mr. JOHNSON: Finance-returning Senator Stone's bill [207], reducing the fees of county treasurers, recommending passage.
Mr. WAGNER objected to concurrence.
Mr. STONE. I hope the report of the committee will be sustained by the Senate. I would like to see uniformity in our State. I should like to see every county treasurer entitled to 2 J per cent, for paying out the revenue. While a great many treasurers have understood that in addition to the fees for collection, they are entitled to a fee of 2 1/2 per cent, for passing over county orders; a great many understand that they are not entitled to it. Our county board supposed the 2 1/2 per cent, to be illegal, and would not pay it over. I believe the office of county treasurer, as a general thing, pays better than any office in the county.
Mr. BEARSS. I am opposed to this bill, and move to concur in the committee report with the following amendment:
Two and one half per cent, for securing and paying out all other moneys than school tax and school fund; but nothing herein contained shall forbid the allowance, now provided by law, for the disbursing of school interest.
Mr. CLAYPOOL. I believe the bill itself is right, and the arguments against it rather weak. There is scarcely a county in the State that pays its treasurer less than $1,000, and by some legerdemain they manage in some cases to get as much as $8,000. If there is an office that is sapping the pockets of the people it is this office of county treasurer.
Mr. TARKINGTON. This is simply an amendment, so as to prevent county commissioners from allowing county treasurers than the law contemplates.
Mr. MARCH believed the report of the committee should be concurred in. Treasurers have been in the habit of taking more pay than they are entitled to; and this bill is intended to make it so plain that they cannot avoid the law.
Mr. WAGNER objected to cutting down the fees of treasurers in small counties.
On motion by Mr. JOHNSON-yeas 23 nays 12-the amendment was laid on the table.
Mr. LANDERS hoped the report of the Committee would be concurred in.
Mr. MURRAY desired to carry out the idea of retrenchment and reform in every case The treasurer is the best paid officer in Elkhart county. He was in favor of concurring in this report, and of passing the bill.
The report was then concurred in.
- By Mr. MELLETT: Finance-returning Senator Bearss' bill 283-see page 272 of these Reports-recommending passage with amendments to sections 94 and 96 of the assessment act.
- By Mr. MARCH: Judiciary-returning Senator Tarkington's bill 219-see page 252-recommending that it lie on the table as a bill embracing the same subject has already been acted upon. Also his bill 228-see page 267-recommending passage.
- By Mr. CRAVEN: Judiciary-the bill [S. 202] regulating the fees of officers-recommending that it lie on the table. Also Senator Line's bill 54, with the amendments proposed by Senators March and Anthony, yesterday afternoon.
Mr. HAMILTON, by leave, introduced a bill [260] releasing to William Rockwell all the right, title, interest and claim of the State of Indiana to a certain parcel of land situate in Allen county.
Mr. BEARSS introduced a bill [260] regulating the licensing of pilots at the falls of the Ohio river, &c.
